Wesak Day 2011

Pindapata with 4 Bhikkhus

Amy and I arrived at BMBMC at around 8:30 am. Just like last year, not many people had yet arrived. Sayadaw U Sumana is out at the lobby and I showed Sayadaw the new book from Inward Path - a translated into Mandarin of a  book by the late Sayadaw U Silananda.

Pindapata

Another visitor that came to the centre after a long absence is Bro Chai Peng Hooi. Most of us are happy to see him again though he is yet fully recovered from his unfortunate accident one year ago.

Amy in charge of counter

At 9 am., members lined up the road in front of the centre for pindapata ceremony. We are fortunate to be able to perform pindapata for 4 bhikkhus, Sayadaw U Sumana, one sayadaw from Berapit, Bhante Vimala and Bhante Javana.

Listening to Dhamma talk

At 10 am, Sayadaw U Sumana gave a Dhamma Talk titled the Buddha's story. In the Dhamma talk, Sayadaw advises members to emulate the Buddha's life and practice His Teachings.This year there are 10 yogis observing the 8 precepts and practicing vipassana meditation.









The crowd begins to build up at about 10.30 am. The hall and the lobby are seated with people. Amy was busy serving the devotees on the robes and bowls offering.

Offering food to monk

Dana is at 11.00 am. Two round tables are set up and devotees offered the foods and requisites.

Having lunch after offering food to monks

We left the centre with increased Sadha and happy able to perform meritorious deeds this wee.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Bhante Suvanno's 4th Year Memorial Ceremony

Both Amy and I were at the BMBMC at 8.00 am
Amy set-up the table for free Dhamma books and Dhamma Talk CDs

Members start to arrive and by 9 am the crowd had swells to 50.










Pindapata is at 9.00 am and this time there are 8 Bhikkhus.

A brief memorial service is conducted in the Bhante Suvanno's Library.













Sayadaw U Sumana gave a Dhamma talk.

Lunch dana is at 11.00 am

Have faith and do good

We must keep doing good meritorious deeds such as Dana, Sila and Bhavana, said Sayadaw U Vimalacarabhivamsa in tonight Dhamma talk at BMBMC. Incidentally tonight's talk will be Sayadaw's last talk as Sayadaw will be going back to Myanmar next Monday.
Do dana but we must also listen to Dhamma talk. Listening to Dhamma talk is very important, much more important than doing dana, advises Sayadaw.
To constantly encourage us to do good and to make us avoid evil deeds is to have strong Saddha (faith) in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, Kamma and Kamma Vipaka.

Four Portion

When we did good deeds such as Dana (act of giving), we had to do it with Panna (wisdom). We should not give everything or every amount of money that we had to do just Dana. This is a stupid act, said Sayadaw U Vimala in today's Dhamma Talk.

The Buddha had mentioned that we should divide our money into four portion that is

1. one portion for food
2. one portion for guests or medicine for ourselves 
3. two portion for investment

So, there is no mentioned that one had to spent all his money on giving.
Which portion should one take for the act of giving? asked Sayadaw
It is the portion of food. One can reduce his partake of food and uses this portion of money to do charity. By doing this, one not only be able to perform good deeds but also is able to sustain oneself in the society. He will be blameless.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Do Not Be Lazy

Do not be lazy! Do not be lazy! Do not be lazy!
We must knock our forehead with our fist once a while to admonish ourselves not to be lazy.
Not to be lazy to do what?

To do good deeds, said Sayadaw U Vimala in tonight's Dhamma Talk after the meditation class in BMBMC.
We are very lazy in doing good deeds. We may think that we are happy to do good deeds. We may also think that we are doing good deeds all the time because we came to the centre and offer food to the monks every day.

But we are actually not doing good deeds all the time. In fact, we are lazy to do good deeds all the time. Think of the time you spent in front of the television watching your favourite shows; think of the time you spent going to do shopping in the shopping centre.

We have to always reminded ourselves to do good deeds. Because if we do not do good deeds, the hell's doors is always open to us.

What are the good deeds? The Buddha had taught us about the good deeds in the Suttas over the period of 45 years of Buddha's life. In all the 144 Books, we can summarized the good deeds into three that are

1. Dana Kusala Kamma
2. Sila Kusala Kamma
3. Bhavana Kusala Kamma

We have to constantly practiced these three kinds of good deeds everyday in our lives. We do not have to come to the center or the monastery to practice these good deeds. We can do it in our home, our work place every time, every day. For example, we can practice Dana in the very simplest form. That is when we are washing our plate after we had our food, any leftover on the plate such as oil or bits of rice or dishes can be offered. We had just to wish that these leftovers be offered to the insects or beings as their food. This form of reflection is an act of good deeds. It does not involved any form of money and it is not even wasteful. But it is an act of charity or dana.

Having a thought like these is a act to perfect our parami and Sayadaw had shared with us a very good lesson in the Dhamma.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Dana at BMBMC with Amy's Mum

Today Amy managed to bring her mum (which is my mother-in-law) to BMBMC for lunch dana. It had been years that I had asked Amy to bring her mum for dana. A big sadhu to both of them

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Dana at MBMC

Lunch dana at MBMC - mum doing pindapata

Today, Amy and I took mum to MBMC for lunch Dana. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to give food dana to the Bhikkhus and also the samaneras as this week is the start of MBMC Samanera programme for 2010.
All of us did some offering as the Bhikkhus and Samaneras lined up for pindapata.
I met Keat Hoe, an 'old' friend from Peace House.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!